British singer Ed Sheeran was bullied at school for having ginger hair, but is now grateful for his flame-coloured locks as they help him stand out in the music industry.

The A Team hitmaker was picked on by his peers for his appearance as he was growing up in Suffolk, east England, but he is now at ease with his quirky look.

Speaking to New Zealand Tv's Seven Sharp show, he says, "I think everyone goes through a little bit of bullying at school. Of course you get picked on for certain things, but I think it ends up being a positive.

"I was quite a weird kid when I was little, I wore big glasses, I had hearing problems, I had a stutter and I had ginger hair, but I am now a very successful musician and I have nothing to complain about so I have come out the other side of it, I've blossomed.

"Being ginger can seem like a bad thing when you are young but as a musician it has been my saving grace - because if you see a ginger kid on Tv and there is only one messy-haired ginger kid who plays guitar, it is very easy to find them on YouTube."